West Ham trigger Lukasz Fabianski contract extension after first-team return

Lukasz Fabianski’s West Ham career is set to extend beyond his 40th birthday after the club triggered a one-year contract extension.

Fabianski, who will turn 39 in April, had been due to be out of contract at the end of the current campaign but has had his deal extended through to the summer of 2025.

It will mean the Pole, who is closing in on 200 Hammers appearances, entering a seventh season in east London having proven a bargain signing since joining from Swansea for £7million in 2018.

The goalkeeper has only been offered a series of 12-month deals in recent seasons on account of his age, but the Hammers are impressed with his continuing form and fitness levels.

Fabianski lost his place as David Moyes’s first-choice goalkeeper at the start of the season, finally usurped by Alphonse Areola, who had been forced to bide his time through two seasons as No2.

However, the former Arsenal man has been a regular in the Carabao Cup and Europa League, keeping five clean sheets across his 10 appearances in all competitions so far this term.

The 38-year-old has started each of West Ham's last three Premier League games after Areola suffered a wrist injury in training and kept his place for Sunday's 3-0 win over Wolves despite the Frenchman being back among the substitutes.

“I just wanted to make sure Areola didn’t come back a couple of days too early,” Moyes said. “He’s been on the bench the last two games but I felt as if the games merited that I might need him.

“It’s great, isn’t it, when your goalies are keeping clean sheets? That’s two this week for us.”